


Lost Boy

by erik_lehnsherr



Series: The Fourteenth's Song [7]
Category: D.Gray Man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 04:18:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10846320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erik_lehnsherr/pseuds/erik_lehnsherr
Summary: Because once upon a time, Noahs and humans could be friends.





	Lost Boy

_Seven years before 1863_

Neah Campbell glared at the door that seemed to mock him. Large, golden stencils spelled out _Music Shop_ taunted him with an imaginary sneering voice that said _Good job, Neah, you broke one of the strings on your violin and now Mother has to spent her hard earned money on you._

In reality, it wasn’t Neah’s fault. Mana wanted to play Neah’s dear violin, one of the many artifacts left by their Father, and he ended up breaking it. Even now, a week after the occurrence, Neah refuses to speak to his twin.

Neah’s mother smiled at the door like it was an old friend, then pushed it open, releasing the vicious sounds of a student who couldn’t play violin very well. She then encouraged, “Go ahead in, Neah.”

He frowned, then entered, clutching his violin case to his chest. The place was cluttered with various instruments and musical tools, and the owner of the shop, Mr. Bradley, was instructing a girl around Neah’s age on how to play a violin. This is where Neah learned how to play this instrument, it not coming as naturally as the piano did, and it seems Neah wasn’t Mr. Bradley’s only student.

Mr. Bradley was a man from America, he once told Neah. He was the son of a freed slave, who was a musician, and Mr. Bradley says his parents taught him everything he knew. Ever so curious, Neah asked Mr. Bradley why he was in Scotland, but the older man never gave a straight answer.

The bell beside the door went off, and Mr. Bradley turned, his face lighting up when he saw Neah, “Ms. Campbell! Neah! Welcome!” He mentioned to the girl, “Take a break for a moment, Edna.” Walking over, he spoke softly, “What brings you to my store today?”

Neah hugged the case close to his chest as he mumbled, “Mana broke Father’s violin.” Katerina only sighed, knowing reprimanding her son won’t make him stop blaming his brother.

Mr. Bradley nodded, “I understand, and I’m certain I’ll be able to fix it.” He took the case from Neah gently, then walked over to his table, Neah’s mother following. That left Neah alone for a few seconds until he looked over at Mr. Bradley’s student. She was small, almost smaller than Mana, with short ginger hair and powerful blue eyes. She stared at Neah, and the boy stared back.

Neah asked her, “What’s your name?” She didn’t answer.

Mr. Bradley ushered Neah over after a few minutes of silence, saying, “That’s Edna, Neah. Poor girl’s been mute her entire life, so don’t take it personally if she doesn’t say a word to you.” He then opened the case, chuckling when he saw the issue – two broken strings, “By the way you were looking, I thought little Mana snapped it in half.”

“But he broke it,” Neah argued. At some point, quiet Edna came up behind Neah, looking over his shoulder.

Mr. Bradley restringed it while saying, “It’s a very easy fix, Neah. Go ahead and go play with Edna while I fix this.” Katerina smiled assuring at Neah, then turned her attention back to Mr. Bradley.

Neah glanced at Edna, the mute girl looking back, then he completely turned to her, “So, um, what now?” She grabbed his hand, then pulled him over to the corner of the store with instruments that customers could play on. The girl grabbed the violin, then pointed at the wide array of instruments available to Neah. He browsed, and then brushed dust off the piano lid, opening it afterward. Neah shot a look at Edna, and the girl started grinding out a soft tune, in which Neah started echoing a few measures later. The two continued this, both grinning as they battled with music.

A few minutes later, Edna ripped out a final tune, and Neah replied to it with his own, and the music stopped with harsh notes from both instruments. For the first time in his life, Neah felt a kinship with someone who wasn’t family. Clapping tore the two kids from their post musical high, and they both turned to see Mr. Bradley and Neah’s mother, both clapping for Neah and Edna. Mr. Bradley exclaimed, “That was magnificent! Bravo!”

Neah stood up, and swept into a deep bow, making the adults laugh. Edna watched him, then mimicked his bow. Mr. Bradley said as he handed Neah his violin, “You two should play in the town square sometime! You’re both so amazing!”

The kids exchanged looks, then smiled at each other. Neah replied, “Yea, maybe.”

The friendship between Neah and Edna only took off from there. Neah learned that Edna lived in town with her two brothers, Michael and Alan, and they both worked odd jobs around the town to pay for their beloved sister’s education and musical lessons. They were both very nice men, and they always welcomed Katerina and her sons into their home when Neah came to play with Edna. Alan was also musically inclined, playing guitar when Neah and Edna took to the streets with their instruments. When Mana fell ill and went into a coma, Neah would often hide out in Edna’s house while the mute girl played soft music to cheer up her best friend.

Mana woke up when the three were ten, and afterward Neah learned to appreciate his brother more. Of course, that meant bringing him to Edna’s house. Neah will always remember Edna’s reaction to seeing Mana after several months of him being unconscious – without a sound, she burst into tears, rushing forward to grab Mana and hug him. It was a joyful time. However, it would be one of their last.

Four years later, tragedy struck Edna’s family. A mine collapse happened in the town next to their hometown, and both her brothers were caught in the disaster. Michael died, and Alan lost all feeling in his body, leaving fourteen-year-old Edna to try and figure out the bills. Neah was determined to help his best friend, but she refused financial support from the wealthy Campbells, so the two went to the streets once again to play music for money. Neah even arranged for Edna to play at the social conventions that his uncle frequently held for the Noah family’s allies.

Everything seemed to be working out. Neah would visit Edna every day, help her gather money and take care of her brother, but alas, it could never work out for a human and a Noah.

It was by pure chance that Neah discovered what happened. He knew his uncle still made Akuma, and that humans died for the Akuma. However, he believed that the Akuma would never touch their town, and more importantly, his best friend. Oh, how wrong he was.

It was a stormy day out when Neah went to the village, freshly baked pastries in hand that he stole from the main house’s kitchen. He knocked on Edna’s door, and called out, “Edna? Alan? I have food!” There was no answer.

Immediately, Neah felt chills go down his spine at the silence. He knocked again, “Guys?”

Finally, the silence was broken by an explosion. Neah dropped the pastries on the ground, covering his ears, as the wall collapsed, and fear pierced his heart when he found himself staring at an Akuma. He had heard about mysterious murders that have occurred over the last few months, but he didn’t think anything of it. Now, it all makes sense.

The Akuma turns to Neah, and he stares in horror. Was it going to kill him? What of Edna and Alan? Did his uncle visit this family, promising to return Michael to them?

Someone came out of the mess, grabbing Neah’s hand and yanking him away from the monster. Edna was clutching her violin in one hand, Neah’s hand in the other, as they ran away from the Akuma. Neah knew asking Edna anything would be useless, but common sense told him that Alan was the one who tried bringing Michael back.

Edna stopped when they accidentally found themselves in a dead end. Neah was breathing heavily, his hands shaking. Was this the fear humans felt when they saw an Akuma? Neah hated this feeling.

Neah’s best friend stared the Akuma down defiantly, then when the beast fired at them, she drew her bow across the string violently. The violin glowed green, then a green tinted shield appeared before them, blocking the shots. Neah’s Noah reared violently at the violin, and at that moment, Neah knew the truth – Edna was an accommodator of Innocence. Perhaps that’s why Cyrus targeted her family.

Edna was playing the best she could, creating shield after shield, but she wasn’t very strong, so soon, she was breathing heavily, her hands shaking. Neah would do anything to protect Edna, so he let his skin grow gray, and the line of crosses go across his forehead, and he jumped in front of the girl who was fated to be his greatest enemy, ready to take the hit. Noahs could survive the Akuma disease, but humans couldn’t.

However, the pain didn’t come. The Akuma exploded, and Neah hugged Edna close to shield her from the smoke. After it cleared, both teenagers looked at the man standing behind where the Akuma was. He was dressed in a coat that Neah recognized as that of an exorcist general – it was General Kevin Yeegar. Edna’s soot covered face as streaked with tears, and Neah’s blood pumped pure fear as the general drew closer. He quickly deactivated his Noah appearance before the general could see.

The general looked down at the two kids, then kneeled in front of them, “Are you two ok?”

Edna was still behind Neah, who replied tightly, “We’re ok.” He refused to let this man, more of a monster than the Akuma, take Edna away from him.

Yeegar continued, “Little girl, it seems you have been chosen by Innocence. Would you like to be an exorcist? You will be able to save people from Akuma, monsters like the one who attacked her.”

Neah answered sharply, “Leave her alone. She doesn’t want to be an exorcist. Go away!” He was ready once again to face down a beast, but Edna grabbed his arm, lowering it. She smiled sadly at him, then joined Yeegar, nodding at his request.

The general stopped Neah from approaching, saying, “Child, return to your family. Tell the Earl that he failed at killing an exorcist.” His Innocence glowed, and Edna looked horrified. Neah glared at the general, then spat, “I’ll kill you for this, general.” He pushed past the two, risking one last look at the girl who was his best friend, then he ran all the way back home.

_A year later_

The battlefield was bloody – just the way Neah liked it. He watched from the sky, sitting neatly on an Akuma.

He only joined the battle when his Akuma was destroyed. He touched down onto the ground, then huffed at the inconvenience of actually having to fight. The Noah looked around, then narrowly dodged an attack. He turned to say something sassy at the attacking exorcist, but lost all his words when he saw a familiar face. There stood Edna, a year after she left with Yeegar. She looked natural in her black cloak, her violin still clutched in her hand. Somewhere on this battlefield was the good general – the person Neah was actually supposed to kill.

As usual, Edna kept silent, but instead of it being endearing like it was when they were children, it only pissed Neah off. He sneered, “Got nothing to say, _exorcist_?”

If that affected Edna, she didn’t show it, loosening the grip on her Innocence. However, Neah wasn’t going to let her cast him that sad look that always got him. He held his hand out, summoning the Exorcism sword, as it was called. Then, the battle began.

Edna has gotten leagues better with her weapon already, firing off bolts of energy with sharp notes, and defending with flat ones. Neah found himself being pushed back, and finally, caught off balance, one of the sharp notes slicing the front of him deeply. He staggered back, the sword disappearing, then he collapsed. One of the level three Akuma screamed, “Master Noah is down! Retreat!” Then, two Level twos grabbed Neah, and the group escaped.

Neah’s final conscious thought was that of Edna, the woman who killed him.


End file.
